The Scottish government has today announced a moratorium on fracking, this news follows a demonstration on Sunday 25th January held outside Ineos, the chemical giant who last year announced its plans to invest a huge £640m in shale gas exploration. People from all over the UK travelled to Grangemouth in Scotland to unite in opposition against the dirty and dangerous plans proposed by Ineos. Salford people including residents from Walkden and Swinton made the trip to demonstrate their opposition and show solidarity to the people of Scotland, and stated ‘We came here to send a clear message to Ineos – fracking is not wanted here or anywhere, and no amount of money from greedy corporations will ever change the fact that fracking will never be anything but unsafe, toxic and dangerous, and the people won’t be fooled – and we certainly won’t go away! It was great to see just how much opposition from the locals there is in this part of the UK, as well as the people from all over who turn out en masse in support. It was a really inspiring, encouraging, and positive day.’

The Scottish government has announced a moratorium on all planning consents for unconventional oil and gas extraction, including fracking.

Welcomed by campaigners as “a very big nail in the coffin for the unconventional gas and fracking industry in Scotland”, energy minister Fergus Ewing told the Scottish parliament on Wednesday afternoon that the moratorium would allow time for the government to launch a full public consultation on the controversial drilling technique, and to commission a full public health impact assessment.

Cross-party committee says that fracking for gas should be suspended in the UK because it poses significant health risks to locals

The Government is today facing a backbench rebellion over legislation to make it easier for energy companies to frack for shale gas, as an influential committee of MPs demands a total fracking ban.

A number of Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are preparing to defy a three-line whip and vote in favour of amendments to the Government’s Infrastructure Bill that would effectively impose a moratorium on fracking in the UK.

The rebels include the former Cabinet minister Caroline Spelman and Home Office minister Norman Baker as well as a significant number of other MPs with constituencies in potential fracking zones who are worried the issue could cost them their seats in May.

The backlash comes as a report from the cross-party Environmental Audit Committee concludes that fracking for gas should be suspended in the UK because it poses significant health risks to locals and makes it virtually impossible for the country to meets its carbon reduction targets.

Salford MPs – Hazel Blears, Barbara Keeley and Graham Stringer – are being urged to support a cross party vote for a moratorium on fracking across Britain on Monday when the Infrastructure Bill comes before Parliament.

The motion, backed by Bolton Labour MP Yasmin Qureshi and Green Party MP Caroline Lucas amongst others, would put a pause on fracking for up to two and a half years while the risks are assessed. Meanwhile a potential dynamite court case surrounding the IGas site in Salford has been adjourned until March.

The Infrastructure Bill has been making its way through Parliament since June this year. The Bill was launched in the House of Lords on 5 June, where it had its third reading on 19 November. It was then quietly moved to the House of Commons, with its first reading on 20 November. But how does it relate to fracking and why should you care?

Drilling Under Your Home Without Consent

In particular, this is the Bill that the government is using to allow companies to frack underneath your home without your consent. For a bit of background, under current UK law, any oil and gas company that wants to drill on your land or underneath your home must first inform you and seek your permission. Greenpeace became aware of this ancient land right and started their WrongMove (1) campaign. Through the campaign, the village of Fernhurst successfully blocked (2) Celtitque Energie’s proposed drilling site. This was a major victory for the UK anti-fracking movement and provided a way for landowners to protect their land from oil and gas exploration.

However in June, the government announced that they were thinking about changing the trespass laws. Under the newly proposed laws, oil and gas companies would not have to seek permission to drill under anyone’s land. Cuadrilla’s CEO Francis Egan said that this change to the trespass law was needed otherwise, fracking companies would find it very difficult to operate (3).

A public consultation was held on the proposed change to the trespass law. Despite 99% of respondents saying that they were against the change to the law, the government added this additional legislation to the Infrastructure Bill. To add insult to injury, an additional amendment has been added that allows fracking companies to install infrastructure and deposit “any substance” in the earth – again, without a land/home owners consent or knowledge.

Peel Holdings – hardly the most popular company in Salford and the North West – is now promoting itself within the fracking industry as being able to help get community consent and licenses for shale gas exploration.

Victoria Merton from Peel Gas and Oil says that the company “has a strong track record in site development and public consenting”. Peel tried and failed to get anti-fracking protesters at Barton Moss evicted from its land, while virulent community campaigns against its housing developments have been a feature in Salford over recent years.

Peel Holdings, which rented its land to IGas Energy for exploratory drilling atBarton Moss, is currently positioning itself, via its ‘Oil and Gas’ division, as being able to help the fracking industry “move quickly through the licensing and consenting process and secure a supply chain in the UK which will underpin its success”.

Fracking companies are all chasing the so-called `social license’ – community consent – to begin controversial shale gas exploration in Salford and elsewhere, and Peel is attempting to cash in on the new energy sector by offering a service wooing the community as well as the authorities which give out planning permits. Peel Gas and Oil’s Victoria Merton, told the Shale Gas Investment Guiderecently: “In 2008 IGas wanted to develop unconventional gas and Peel as a major landowner and infrastructure group, has a strong track record in site development and public consenting. That’s what Peel Gas and Oil offers: a development partnership providing IGas and companies like them with a trusted partner.”

Many people in Salford would take issue with this statement. In recent years, big community campaigns have been launched against Peel Holdings, including its plans for a racecourse in Worsley, building on green belt land at Burgess FarmandBarton Moss, peat extraction atChat Moss and house building at Broadoak and Worsley, as well as its partnership with IGas at Barton Moss last winter, when the company tried unsuccessfully to evict anti-fracking protesters from the Barton Moss Community Protection Camp.

Crucial research by Prof. David Smythe…this is essential information to counter the ‘only safe chemicals’ BS constantly repeated by Lord John Browne, Francis Egan, Gerwyn Llewellyn Williams and other ‘Mother-Frackers!’

#TalkFracking

Cuadrilla say the only chemical they use during fracking‬ is Polyacrylamide, which they claim is completely safe. However, Polyacrylamide is made of Acrylami…de; a highly toxic chemical. Even the smallest amount of water contamination can lead to cancer, nerve problems and decrease of lifespan.